Time for Obama to Go on an Apology Tour

Genevieve Wood /
January 28, 2014

President Obama should use his State of the Union speech tonight to launch a much-needed “apology tour” to the American people.

As shown by the fact that viewership of SOTU speeches has declined over the last three presidencies, Americans know that no president is going to use the speech as a chance to be honest with them about the state of the nation – despite the fact that they deserve a leader who will “get real” with the people who elected him.

There’s no indication Obama’s going to be that leader this year. This weekend, White House press secretary Jay Carney and senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer explained Obama’s speech will be about “practical” proposals related to issues such as income inequality and immigration (topics that consistently poll in the bottom half of issues American are most concerned about). Yet again, Obama’s focus appears to be on his agenda, not on the issues that the majority of Americans are concerned about.

But that’s not all Obama should apologize for Tuesday night. If he was serious about turning a new leaf in 2014, the last year he has before the lame duck period of his presidency begins, he would say this:

“And because of legislative loopholes and onerous mandates, the ACA will also entangle taxpayer funds in abortion coverage and severely restrict the ability of Americans to choose health care coverage that reflects their values;

“I’m also sorry to report that more Americans are reliant upon government today than ever before. Food stamp spending is at historic highs with one in five American households receiving food stamps in 2013. And according to a recent study by the University of Kentucky for the Associated Press, ‘working-age people now make up the majority in U.S. households that rely on food stamps — a switch from a few years ago, when children and the elderly were the main recipients;’

“So, in conclusion, I’m sorry to report that while taxes have risen by almost $3 trillion during my time as president, I will likely need to ask for more…”

Obama isn’t going to give that speech.

Instead, he will likely focus on a list of legislative shiny objects, such as paycheck fairness, hiking the minimum wage, and income inequality – all issues the White House believes appeals to key constituencies in the Democrat base including women and blue-collar workers. The problem for Obama and Democrats is that most voters, including independents, are more concerned about healthcare, jobs, and the economy.

Unfortunately, the state of the union when it comes to those issues isn’t strong. President Obama is probably happy the ratings for his speech on the subject won’t be either.